And the Stars Align
by Cherie Dennis
Summary: ...he knew that something shifted in the universe and he knew that, somehow, he and this girl where supposed to see one another again. AU. Naley. Better summary inside.
1. And the Stars Align

**And the Stars Align**

Title: And the Stars Align

Author: Cherie Dennis.

Summary: Roommates Haley James and Brooke Davis are both natural-born New Yorkers. They had never heard of Tree Hill, North Carolina until Brooke started dating up and coming author Lucas Scott. With Scott's newest book, Forged Memories, being launched, lives are going to take an interesting turn.

Haley, who just got out of a horrible relationship with an even worse guy, finds herself falling for Lucas's brother, Nathan. But her guarded heart, and Chris Keller (Lucas's publisher) being hot on her tail doesn't make things easy.

Will Haley be able to take down her walls and let Nathan in? Or will he return to North Carolina, never to be heard from again?

Rating: I'm going to go with T, but it may change.

Pairings: It will be focused on a Baley friendship, a Naley (and Brucas) romance, perhaps with some other friendships and romances thrown in for good measure.

Disclaimer: I don't own OTH.

This is going to be an AU fic. I might have other pairings come together, like Jeyton or something. Most characters will be mentioned/seen.

You may want to keep this in mind:

Haley and Brooke are roommates.

Brooke is dating Lucas.

Lucas and Nathan are brothers.

Lucas's publisher is Chris.

Lucas's editor is Peyton.

**Prologue:**

I had always been a loner. In high school, I rarely dated, and the only friend I ever truly had was Brooke. I was the loser, the Tutor Girl who always had some kind of book in front of her. Why Brooke, head of the cheerleading squad, actually hung out with me was a mystery in and of it. But we met freshman year and were glued at the hip.

We ended up moving in together, in the apartment complex where we currently live. That's where I first met Jason. He seemed like the perfect guy, like they usually do, so I always forgave him when he screwed up.

Our relationship was deep and intense, and there are days where I find myself wishing I was still with him. But what he did to me is unforgivable. From the day I broke up with him, I swore I'd never let another guy in. Why give your heart away when it always ends badly?

Then, all of a sudden, Nathan shows up in my life. He has me constantly second-guessing myself and my choices. With my head and my heart saying two completely different things, how am I supposed to figure out what's best for me?

_That's probably one of the worst prologues in the history of writing, but hopefully you guys understand what the story's going to be about. If not, you'll just have to read and see! And please, please, please give me feedback! Anything at all! From saying "Good job!" to telling me what I should improve on. Anything! And, like my other stories, it's going to be third-person, not first._

_Reviews?_


	2. Shift in the Universe

"Come on Tutorgirl, we're going to be late!" Brooke called from the front room. She tapped her Stiletto covered foot on the floor, glancing impatiently at the small, silver watch that was wrapped around her wrist. Could the girl take any longer? She blew out an irritated breath, causing her bangs to flutter over her forehead.

"I'm sorry," Haley said as she came rushing out of her bedroom, one high heeled boot on, the other in her hand. She hopped over to Brooke, grabbing her arm as she slid her foot into the other boot. She quickly zipped the side, and then turned around. "Tie me?"

Brooke reached out, tying the straps of the red halter dress that Haley wore, letting the strings fall against her bare back. The girl then did a small spin for her friend, smiling at the feel of the dress flaring out a bit. "How do I look?"

The brunette smiled, shaking her head a bit. She looked from the top of Haley's head, where her hair cascaded in loose curls around her face and onto her shoulders, to the tips of her toes. "You look perfect," she said after a moment. "Now let's go! Lucas will kill me if we're late."

Taking hold of her friend's hand, Brooke tugged the girl out of the apartment they shared. Stepping out into the cool New York air, she felt her black strapless dress blow in the soft breeze. She stepped out into the street, waving down a cab. Once it pulled up, the girls slid into the back of the car.

"104th and Walker, please," the brunette told the cabdriver before turning to Haley. "I'm so nervous," she said with a small giggle. "I mean, this is the first time I'm going to meet Lucas's editor and publisher… What if they don't like me?"

The girl beside her laughed and shook her head, glancing out the window of the car. She then turned back to Brooke, taking the girl's hands in her own. "They'll love you," she sad, her tone serious. "Everyone loves you, Tigger. Besides, you don't need to impress them; you have Lucas, and that's what matters."

Brooke gave a small nod, squeezing Haley's hands lovingly. "God, what would I do without you?" she asked before pulling the girl into a tight embrace. Haley hugged her back, and then pulled out of her arms.

A few minutes later, they arrived at the building where Lucas's launch party for his newest book, _Forged Memories_, was being held. The girls climbed out of the car, paying the cabbie before they stepped onto the sidewalk. They looked over the building, already filled with people.

"Apparently the book is a huge success already," Haley said as she slipped her arm through Brooke's. The brunette gave a nod as she chewed on her lower lip nervously. "You'll be fine, Tigger. Just be yourself. Besides, I'll be there if you need me."

Brooke glanced over at Haley, giving her an appreciative smile. "Thanks for coming with me," she said. They then walked into the building, both their eyes searching for Lucas.

Brooke slid her arm away from Haley's as the blonde came over, pulling the brunette into a hug. "Hey, Pretty Girl," he said into her hair before pulling back to kiss her. Haley averted her eyes, letting them scan the room again.

"Hey Boyfriend," Brooke said with a giggle. She leaned against Lucas for a moment, enjoying the closeness between them before she looked over to Haley.

"Hi Hales," Lucas said with a smile, watching the girl look over at him.

"Hey Luke. Congratulations on the turn out. Apparently you're loved by many people," she said.

Lucas gave a nod, his arm slipping around Brooke's waist as a goofy grin came onto his face. "I know," he said, glancing around the room before looking back to Haley. "I didn't think the book was going to be such a success."

"Oh, it's not, everyone's just here for the free food and alcohol," said a voice from behind Lucas. He turned around, laughing at the curly blonde haired girl behind him.

"Hey Peyton," he said as she stepped beside him. "Hales, Brooke, this is Peyton, my editor."

Brooke glanced over at Haley for a moment before looking back to the blonde girl. She stuck her hand out and Peyton took it, shaking it politely.

"Hi," the brunette said with a smile as she wrapped her arms around Lucas's waist. "I'm Lucas's girlfriend, Brooke."

Peyton gave a nod, glancing at Lucas before looking back to Brooke. "I've heard a lot about you," she said with a smile. She then glanced over to Haley, who was scanning the room again. "Peyton Sawyer," she said.

Haley looked back to the girl, returning the smile. She took Peyton's hand and shook it before crossing her arms over her chest. "Haley James."

The foursome stood there for a moment in silence before Peyton cleared her throat. "Keller says you need to do some mingling," she said to Lucas.

He let out a loud breath before nodding a bit. He placed a loving kiss on the top of Brooke's head before pulling away. "I'll catch up with you later," he said, taking her hand and squeezing it for a moment. "Don't do too much flirting, okay?" he joked before walking off.

Haley turned to a pouting Brooke, wrapping her arm over the girl's shoulder. "Come on, Davis," she said, "let's go get some drinks."

The brunette nodded and slid her arm over Haley's waist as they walked towards the bar. After ordered a couple Cosmopolitans, they sat down on a couple of the barstools. Brooke glanced around the room before her eyes landed on Lucas, who was standing next to Peyton and some other girl, laughing at something someone had said.

"Brooke," Haley said, pulling the girl back to reality. "He's not interested in them, okay? I know you don't like him being around other women, but he's not going to do anything. He's got you, and he loves you. I can tell by the way he looks at you," she said, reading the brunette's mind.

Brooke gave a small nod, her finger tracing the edge of her napkin. "I know," she said after a moment, "I just get nervous. Lucas is a great guy, and I don't want to lose him."

Before Haley had the chance to reply, a body slid onto the barstool beside her, bumping her leg as he sat. She turned to face him, a scowl on her face. "Excuse you," she said to the guy.

He turned around to look at her, a smirk coming to his face. He slid his arm over Haley's shoulders, pulling her close as she tried to pull away. "Chris Keller doesn't need excuses," he whispered against her ear.

Haley pulled harder away from him, shoving him in the opposite direction. Brooke watched the scene, her eyebrows raised in disgust.

Chris gave Haley a grin before turning to the bartender and ordering a beer. He then shifted in his seat to face her again, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Chris Keller has never seen such a beautiful girl," he said with a wink.

Brooke slid her hand onto Haley's clenched fist as she said, "Chris Keller? You're Lucas's publisher, aren't you?"

The guy turned his attention to Brooke, giving a small nod. "What's it to you?" he asked, grabbing his beer and taking a swig. Haley scowled at him again before picking up her drink, downing half of it.

"I'm his girlfriend, Brooke Davis," she said with a proud smile. Chris gave a small nod, his eyes looking at Haley again before returning to the brunette.

"I'll have to talk to him about your friend here, then. Maybe she'll be lucky enough to be set up with Chris Keller," he said. He slid off the barstool, giving Haley's arm a squeeze. "Chris Keller's out," he said with a wink before walking off, beer in hand.

"Eww," Haley said as she took another drink of her Cosmopolitan. Brooke nodded in agreement, taking a sip of her drink.

"Yeah, he's a creep." She gave Haley's back a comforting pat before standing up. "Bathroom break," she said with a smile before walking towards the restrooms.

Haley watched the girl go, and then turned her attention to the drink in front of her. She ran her finger along the edge of the glass as she let out an audible sigh. Suddenly another body crashed into her, causing her glass to tip over, the rest of her drink going all over the bar top.

The bartender came over, quickly wiping up the mess with her rag. Haley turned around, another scowl on her face. She looked up at the guy who'd bumped into her, her heart fluttering a bit at the sight of his blue eyes. She kept the scowl on her face, ignoring the butterflies that suddenly came into her stomach.

"Sorry about that," he said with a small smile. He sat down on the stool beside her, waving down the bartender. "Another drink for the lady," he said, indicating Haley beside him. He then turned to face her, offering his hand. "Nathan," he said with a small smile.

Haley's arms crossed over her chest as she glared at him, ignoring the extended hand. She glanced briefly over him, noticing how handsome he looked in his classic suit. She quickly pushed the thoughts from her head, glaring at him again. "I don't really care," she said before picking up her new drink.

Nathan gave a small nod, ordering himself a beer. "Sorry again about your drink," he said as he glanced at Haley again. She glanced back at him, but quickly averted her eyes. Brooke came rushing over to the bar, letting out an annoyed breath.

"God, women can be so annoying!" she said as she sat back down in her seat. She glanced over at Nathan, who was still watching Haley, and she raised an eyebrow in question. "Can we help you?" she asked.

His blue eyes looked over to her as a smile came to his face. "No, I just had to by this lovely girl here another drink. I bumped into her and spilled what was left of her first one," he said with a shrug before taking a swig of his alcohol.

Brooke bumped Haley's knee with her own, causing the girl to cast a glare in her direction. The brunette gave the guy a smile, offering her hand in front of Haley. "Brooke Davis," she said with a smile.

Nathan took her hand, shaking it gently before letting go. "You're Lucas's girlfriend, aren't you?" he asked, his eyes glancing at Haley again before he looked back at Brooke's confused face.

"Yeah, I am," she said with a small nod. "How did you know?" She picked up her drink and took a sip, ignoring the annoyed Haley beside her.

"Nathan!" Lucas's voice came through the sounds surrounding the three at the bar. He came over, bumping knuckles with the guy. "How's it going?" he asked as he walked over to stand behind Brooke, kissing her hair gently.

"It's alright. The flight in was horrible, though. Remind me why I came to this stupid party again?" he joked.

Brooke and Haley glanced back at Lucas, obviously confused. The blonde gave them a smile as he shrugged. "This is Nathan," he said, nodding towards the guy on Haley's right. "He's my brother."

The girls glanced back at Nathan for confirmation. He gave a small nod before taking another drink from his bottle. "Guilty as charged," he said with a shrug.

Haley slid off her stool, setting her glass back down on the bar top. "I'm going to go get some food," she explained to Brooke and Lucas before walking off towards the food table.

The boys watched her go before Lucas looked at Brooke. "What's wrong with her?" he asked, glancing over at Nathan.

The brunette gave a small shrug. "I don't know. I came back here and Nathan was sitting beside her, and she was acting all broody. Kind of like you," she teased as Lucas sat down in Haley's spot.

"Ha-ha," he deadpanned to Brooke before kissing her softly. He then glanced over at Nathan, who was watching Haley gather a plate of food.

"What did you do this time?" the blonde asked, causing Nathan to look at him, a surprised look on his face.

"Nothing," he said, holding his hands up in defense. "I simply bumped into her, spilled her drink and then bought her another one." He looked back over at Haley, who was now scanning the room, eating some of the food from her plate.

Lucas let out a little laugh as he shook his head. "Alright, then," he said before ordering a beer for himself. He couldn't help but think about Haley's last relationship; he and Brooke had just gotten together when it ended, and it had been horrible.

He glanced over at his brother, suddenly realizing what Haley had realized; he and her ex seemed **a lot** alike, and Lucas couldn't help but feel a bit guilty. He had sprung almost an identical twin, in looks at least, on Haley without warning.

"So," Brooke said, turning in her seat again, watching Nathan look over to her. "What do you do for a living?"

Nathan took another drink of his beer, feeling it already half-empty before he set the bottle onto the bar. "I'm a basketball scout for Duke. It's not very glamorous, but I love it."

Lucas leaned over to Brooke, whispering just loud enough so Nathan could hear, "The pros didn't want him, and that was the only job he could get."

Nathan punched his brother in the arm, though it was obvious they were both just having fun. He looked over at Brooke, seeing the smile that lit up her face. "What about you?"

She took a sip of her drink, glancing towards Haley for a moment before looking back to Nathan. "I'm a fashion designer," she said. "Well, I'm trying to be. I currently work at Ralph Lauren. I'm the head of the women's clothing department, and if he likes my sketches, I get to design some of the stuff for his new line."

Lucas seemed to beam with pride as Brooke talked, and Nathan couldn't help but notice the love between them. He smiled happily, glad that his brother was in such a good relationship. "That's awesome," he said to Brooke.

"Scott!" Peyton said behind him, causing the threesome to glance back at her. Lucas turned in his seat, leaning back against the bar. "Come on! You need to mingle some more."

She glanced over at Brooke, giving her an apologetic smile. The brunette simply slid off her stool, taking Lucas's hand. "Come on, Boyfriend," she said with a smile as she looked at him. "Let's go mingle."

Lucas nodded to her, a smile on his face as they walked away from the bar. Peyton glanced over at the only one of the three left. "Peyton Sawyer," she said, sticking her hand out.

Nathan took her hand and shook it before taking another swig of his beer. "Nathan Scott, Lucas's brother." The blonde smiled at him, giving him a small nod.

"If you'll excuse me," she said, "I have some business to attend to. It was nice to finally meet his brother, though." After giving him another smile, Peyton disappeared into the crowd again.

Haley made her way the other side of the bar, making sure that Nathan couldn't see her. She ordered two double shots and, once they arrived, downed them quickly.

She couldn't get the image of Jason, her ex, out of her head. And with one glance towards Nathan, she knew why. Had she not known better, she would've mistaken Nathan for him.

She order another shot of Tequila, downing it quickly then sucking on the lime slice she was given. Haley gripped the edge of the bar, feeling a bit light headed. Maybe she should've eaten before she came, instead of picking a few things off her plate then dumping four fifths of it.

"Little girl can't handle her alcohol?" came a voice behind her, causing another scowl to come to Haley's face. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping it wasn't the same guy she thought it was. But when she felt his arms slid around her waist, and his lips kiss along her neck, she knew it was him.

"Get off me!" she shouted, trying to push him away. Chris just stood there with a grin as she tried to walk away. He watched her stumble and placed his hands on her hips, pulling her body close to his.

"Come on now," he whispered into her ear, feeling her squirm against him. "You know you want Chris Keller," he said as his hands ventured to the bottom hem of her dress.

"I suggest you leave the girl alone," came another voice, one much deeper and less annoying. Haley's eyes opened and looked over, confirming her suspicions. Leave it to ex-look-alikes to come to her rescue.

Chris let go of Haley, causing her to almost fall over before she grabbed hold of the bar. "This has nothing to do with you," he said to Nathan, watching the taller one laugh.

"Actually, it does. That there is my girlfriend, and if you don't leave her alone, you'll have a date with my fist. Got it?" he asked.

Haley was leaning against the bar, cursing herself for taking the shots she did. She knew she was a lightweight, and it usually only took three beers to get her drunk. She glanced back at Nathan, watching him take a step closer to Chris, who held up his hands in defense.

"Chris Keller's out," he said before disappearing into the crowd, searching for his next love interest.

Nathan walked over to Haley, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "You okay?" he asked, watching her nod.

"Fine," she mumbled as she pushed off the bar. She took a few steps, stumbling away from Nathan. He reached out just in time to catch her from falling. He slid one arm beneath her knees, the other behind her back and picked her up effortlessly.

"I think you should get home," he said, watching her lean against him.

As he walked out of the building and hailed a cab, Nathan couldn't shake the feeling that his life just took a turn for the better. As he looked down at Haley's peaceful face and felt her body in his arms, he knew that something shifted in the universe and he knew that, somehow, he and this girl where supposed to see one another again.


	3. The Trick Is To Keep Breathing

Sorry this took me so long to update! I'll try to be better, but I'm leaving for a week, so it'll be atleast a week and a half before the next update. Thanks to all of you who have been interested in this story, and I hope you all still are. Don't be afraid to leave a review, even if it's saying you like the story.

Thanks to Miranda for betaing this on such short notice, and getting it back to me quickly. Much love from me to her.

* * *

The crash of metal hitting wood that came from the kitchen was enough to scare Haley into a conscious state. She rubbed her tired eyes, wincing at the ache behind them. With her head pounding she stood up, her hand clutching her stomach. She could hear movement in the other room, her ears throbbing with the sound. Couldn't Brooke just shut up?

She pulled off her red dress and dropped it onto the floor before grabbing her fluffy white bathrobe. She pushed the door open, a scowl on her face. She walked to the bathroom first, the door closing behind her.

As she looked in the mirror she had to swallow a scream. Her makeup was streaked down her cheeks and smudged beneath her eyes while her hair seemed to have a life of its own.

"Lucas!" Brooke cried. "Be careful with-" The sound of shattering glass cut her sentence short. "That."

Haley let out an irritated breath. What had he broken this time? Every time Lucas stayed the night, he'd cook for Brooke and something would end up broken. She shook her head before grabbing her makeup remover, working on the mess that currently hid her face.

She ignored the sounds of Brooke and Lucas and the sickening smell of cooking bacon as she cleaned herself up. She decided she'd take a bath later rather than a shower now. The aching in her head screamed for some water and Aspirin so when she felt she looked half-way decent, she left the bathroom.

She heard the giggles before she entered the kitchen. "You two had better be fully dressed," Haley said, enticing some more giggles from Brooke. "I don't need to see you two naked on the floor this morning. I'm queasy enough as it is."

Haley walked into the kitchen, happy to find them decent. Well if a small camisole and a pair of lacey underwear count as clothing. Lucas and Brooke, who seemed to have been glued together, separated partly at the sight of Haley.

"Nice to know you're alive, Tutor Girl," Brooke said with a wink.

"Of course I'm alive," Haley replied as she pulled open the fridge. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because you were completely wasted last night," Lucas suggested.

Bottle of water in hand, Haley turned on her heel and glared at Lucas. "I wasn't that bad."

"Right! That's why Nathan had to carry you home!" Brooke flipped her hair over her shoulder before turning her attention to the cooking bacon.

"I could've managed," Haley mumbled. She made her way over to the counter, sitting down on one of the stools they had. She rested her forehead down on the marble top, her eyes closing for a brief moment against the glare of the lights. Lucas's hand appeared in her peripheral vision, leaving behind a couple little white pills.

"Thanks." She sat up and unscrewed the lid on her bottle. Exchanging that with the Aspirin, she took a swig of water. Her hand stopped half way to her mouth, the pills clutched in her grip.

The front door was opening, revealing Nathan with plenty of grocery bags hanging from his hands. Haley's eyes widened as she looked over to Brooke, who was now standing alone since Lucas had walked over to relieve his brother of the groceries. She stood up quickly and raced over to her roommate, ignoring the wave of nausea that passed through her.

"What the hell," she whispered, "is he doing here?"

The brunette looked up from her bacon, a perfectly shaped eyebrow raised in question. "Who?"

"Gee, I don't know. The guy who brought me home last night!"

Brooke let out an almost nervous-like laugh. "I couldn't just kick him out! I mean, he's Lucas's brother and he brought your drunken ass home. Not to mention the fact that he didn't have a hotel room. He crashed on the couch last night." She shrugged.

Haley's eyes turned into angry slits, glaring daggers at her roommate. "I can't believe you!" she cried, a little too loud for her own ears. Ignoring the protests of Brooke and the hang over that was still beating her up she stomped back into her bedroom and slammed the door shut - hard.

She flung herself onto the bed and clutched her red satin covered pillow to her chest. Why the hell did Brooke have to ruin her life like this? She groaned as she rolled onto her stomach, burying her face in another pillow.

On the other side of the door, Nathan stood with wide shocked eyes. "Guess she isn't happy to see me." He made his way towards the kitchen, placing the bags down on the counter that Haley was just sitting at.

"She'll come around," Lucas said as he placed his groceries down.

"I hope so." Brooke set a few pieces of hot, greasy bacon onto a paper towel that was sitting on a paper plate. "Maybe you should go talk to her?" she suggested.

Lucas started putting the food away, ignoring the contemplative look that was on Nathan's face. "I wouldn't suggest it," he said over his shoulder. "If she reacted that way to just seeing you, imagine how she'll act if you go to talk to her. She's stubborn, even if she's small and shy."

"Come on Luke," Nathan said. "You know no girl can resist the Scott charm." He gave a wink to Brooke, causing her to giggle some.

"Shush, Nathan. He thinks I like him for that, but I actually just like his body."

"In that case, why not be with me?"

The blonde turned on his heel, an obvious irritation radiating from his body. Nathan simply smirked at him as Brooke who was still giggling, wrapped her arms around his waist. "You know I love you baby," she cooed, watching as a smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

"You better," he said as he placed a kiss on her forehead.

Haley's door opened then, swinging hard on its hinges and running into the wall. "I'm going out," she said as she stalked into the living room area. The threesome, standing just a few feet away from her turned to look at her wide-eyed.

She'd slipped into a pair of simple blue flip-flops, her light blue dress clinging to her body as she moved. Brooke slapped Nathan's arm to pull him from the drooling state he was in, eyes glued on Haley as she bounced over to her roommate, obviously perkier than the monster-turned-girl.

"Hales," she said as she took hold of her friend's arm. Haley spun on her heel, her ears burning from the cheeriness in Brooke's voice. "Are you sure you want to go out? We can keep it down out here, and I was just finishing breakfast."

"No, Tigger, I need to get out. I need some fresh air." She pulled the brunette into a quick hug before grabbing her cell phone and keys, slipping them into her small white purse before slinging it over her shoulder. "I'll be back later," she said with a small wave before leaving the apartment.

She hailed a cab and once situated in the backseat pulled the black rimmed sunglasses from her purse. "93rd and Sheridan, please," she told the driver, the glasses now covering her brown eyes. She took in a deep breath and then entered a coughing fit from the stale smoke stench of the cab. A look of relief passed over her features as the cabbie pulled over at her stop. She got out of the car and handed him some money before heading into the coffee shop.

As she walked in, taking in the scent of sugar coma inducing pastries and the rich, deep smell of the coffee beans a smile graced her face. Brooke always teased her about coming here, complaining when they stopped that it would be just as easy to go to a Starbucks. But Haley had fallen in love with it from the moment she found this place. It was homey and warm and she loved the atmosphere. It reminded her of the little bakery that she always went to with her grandpa when she visited him over the summer.

She made her way towards the counter, watching from behind her sunglasses as the people around her sipped their drinks. She pushed the glasses onto the top of her head, holding back some of her hair as she looked over the menu. It was pointless though because she always ordered the same thing. She stepped up to the counter, her hands spread flat against it as she leaned in to talk to the barista over the sounds of chatter around her.

"Hot chocolate and a blueberry muffin, extra butter," said a voice from over her shoulder.

Haley's body tensed at the familiar voice ordering her favourite thing. She gripped the edge of the counter, her knuckles turning a white color. The barista smiled at the two, assuming they were a couple, before ringing up the order.

"Six even," she said with a smile.

A large hand, fingertips calloused with years of guitar practice handed over a ten dollar bill. Haley took in a sharp breath and tried to focus her eyes anywhere else, but it was useless. They always fell back to those hands. Those warm, soft hands…

"It's been a while," he whispered into her hair, his opposite hand resting against her lower back.

She would've flinched away, but that would've caused a display of teas to fall over. Instead, she merely kept her head forward, staring up at the menu despite the fact that she'd already ordered. Sort of.

"What's a matter darlin'? Not even going to say hi?"

The chuckle he gave made her stomach churn and she instantly regretted coming down here. The pounding of her head which had seemed to dull entirely was now back full force, bad enough that she wanted to crawl into a ball on the floor. That, of course, could've also been her ex standing behind her, so close that a hair couldn't pass between them.

"Jason," she said, attempting to keep her voice cold and detached.

The barista returned, placing the funky mug with steaming hot chocolate and the blueberry muffin down on the counter. She handed the change to Jason before giving him another wide smile.

Haley quickly took hold of her stuff and pushed Jason back before walking towards an empty table.

"Come on, baby! Don't be like this," he said as he followed her.

She placed the stuff down onto the table and then spun on her heel, intending to tell him off. The sight of him caused her heart to leap into her throat. The familiar black hair that she used to play with constantly, the piercing blue eyes that she's stared into a million times… Everything about him seemed so perfect and she had to fight the urge to wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him, just to see if the spark was still there.

"Be like what?" she finally choked out.

He stepped towards her, his hands held out at his hips as if inviting her to close the gap. "Cold like this. I've missed you."

Haley gripped the chair she was standing beside, her fingers fused to the cold metal. She was surprised that it hadn't dented into the shape of her hand, a mark left behind forever. Or until they replaced the chair, whichever came first.

"What do you expect from me, Jason? That the minute I see you I'll come crawling back?"

He moved his hand through his hair, causing his vintage Beatles shirt to ride up his toned stomach. "Something like that." He nodded.

Haley's eyes peeled away from the tanned skin of his abdomen and stared into his eyes, trying to keep her composure. "Then you're going to be very disappointed."

He stepped forward again, his arm stretching out. His eyes locked onto Haley's as his hand wrapped around her small waist, closing the gap as he pulled her towards him. His other hand pressed against her cheek, his fingers curling gently down around her neck and the side of her head.

"I miss you, Hale-Bop," he whispered.

The café seemed to disappear around them as Haley got lost in his eyes. They seemed warm and inviting, even with the cold glint behind them. She wanted to pull away from him and knew that she should, but her body wouldn't respond to the demands of her mind. It seemed to be drawn to her ex like a magnet, as if he were the gravity she needed to stay on the planet.

The sound of the bell ringing above the door pulled her from his trance. She stepped back, catching sight of a familiar face entering the building. A faint smile came to her face as she pushed past Jason.

She grabbed the guy's leather jacket, ignoring the surprise that was evident on his face and pulled him towards the area she was just standing in. She fought back the urge to vomit as she slid her hand into his, a wide smile forced on her lips.

"Jason," she said. "This is my boyfriend."

She turned her head to look up at him, her eyes pleading his silently. He watched her for a moment before turning towards Jason, his right arm extended. He smiled coolly as the other guy, dumbfounded, took his hand and shook it.

"Jason Meyers," he said with a weak smile.

The other guy nodded some as he pulled his hand from Haley's, his arm snaking across her waist. His hand slid down onto her bottom and gave a nice squeeze before wrapping protectively around her waist.

A smile came to his face as he replied, "Chris Keller."


End file.
